Fair games

The ExCel centre, site of this year's London Book FairLast week, the Frankfurt Book Fair - the biggest event of its kind - announced its intention of hosting a convention in London next year. What does this mean for the capital's own beleaguered fair? Sam Edenborough, of the Intercontinental Literary Agency, gives his view.

The fair is a showcase for British publishers, booksellers, packagers and librarians, who invest serious sums of money to build often spectacular displays. Alongside the fair is the International Rights Centre, a venue for the buying and selling of translation rights. Like hundreds of others, I spend the three days of the fair in the IRC at my table, holding meetings with editors from around the world, seeking translation deals for the authors I represent. The LBF is second only to the Frankfurt Book Fair in importance for the international publishing community, and for many of us it's the most enjoyable book fair in the world.

But the move to ExCel was widely felt to be a disaster by visitors and exhibitors alike, with complaints about overcrowded, sub-standard facilities and disappointment in the venue overshadowing the increase in numbers.

The book fair's long-time organisers, Reed Exhibitions, have been working energetically to put things right for 2007, but their efforts have been challenged by a surprise announcement on Friday from the Frankfurt Book Fair team that they plan to hold an alternative spring fair in London in April 2007, and have booked the substantial Earls Court One exhibition hall for the purpose.

Most of the major publishing conglomerates, including Hachette Livre UK, the Random House Group, Faber and Penguin have indicated their support for the alternative fair, and agents, too, have been enthusiastic. Clare Alexander, president of the Association of Authors' Agents, hailed "a very exciting and most welcome initiative", while Andrew Nurnberg, joint treasurer of the Association of Authors' Agents, said, "As host nation, our priority must be to serve the best interests of our international partners. Their priority is to be at the centre of London's great cultural heritage, while attending a fair that is a pleasurable experience. Our friends from Frankfurt are perfectly placed to meet all our aspirations."

As an agent, the London fair is very important to me. Many of the overseas publishers with whom I do business were seriously considering not attending next year if the fair stayed at ExCel. The prospect of an alternative, central venue is, therefore, very appealing. We know from experience that the Frankfurt team can organise a good fair. It will be fascinating to see how the international publishing community - and not least Reed Exhibitions - react to Friday's news.

A strange day, when Frankfurt comes to London. The battle of the book fairs is on.